What does a nice Jewish girl do on Christmas Eve when eight goyim* come for dinner? Order Chinese food, of course! But last Christmas, I decided to throw caution to the wind and make Chinese food rather than call for take-out. And I didn’t want to be fancy… I wanted to serve the staples of Chinese-American restaurants: hot and sour soup, shrimp fried rice, beef and broccoli, and my favorite, General Tso’s chicken. Boston chef Ming Tsai’s website (Ming.com) helped me with most of the recipes, but then I found a lighter version of General Tso’s chicken that’s pan-fried instead of deep-fried. Hit of the night, ho ho ho!

2. In a small bowl, whisk the chicken broth with the chile-garlic sauce, sugar, and the remaining ¼ cup soy sauce and remaining tbsp. cornstarch.

3. In a large saucepan, heat the oil, add the ginger and garlic, and cook over high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth mixture to the pan until thickened and glossy, about 3 minutes. Keep warm.

4. In a large, deep skillet, heat ½” oil until shimmering. Add the chicken a few pieces at a time, and fry over high heat, turning a few times until very browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain the chicken on paper towels and add to the sauce, along with the scallions. Cook briefly, until coated. Serve immediately with steamed rice and broccoli.